The Family from Vietnam

Overview

This 80-page easy-to-understand reader is one of 12 historical novels in the Hopes and Dreams series, whose diverse and fascinating characters, regardless of their ethnicity, face prejudice, danger, hardships, and setbacks, but survive with perseverance, a little bit of luck ,and a generous amount of love in their new home in the US. Downloadable audio recordings of all 12 novels and free supplentary materials for teachers are available (visit ProLinguaLearning.com for more details).

Plot Summary for The Family from Vietnam: As 1975 begins, Vietnam is a divided country. The North, with its capital in Hanoi, is a communist country under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. The South, with its capital in Saigon, is supported by the United States. At the end of April 1975, Saigon is about to fall to the Communists. The Nguyen family, Mai and Set and their three children, need to escape because their uncle has worked for the Americans. They manage to escape by helicopter from the roof of the U.S. Embassy, but they are separated. Mai and two children are sent to Guam, while Set and their son Vinh are sent to the Philippines where Vinh becomes sick and dies. Mai with her two children are sent to a refugee camp, Fort Indiantown Gap, in Pennsylvania. At the same time, Set is living with a sponsor family in California. Separated by 2,500 miles, Mai and Set begin to adapt to American culture. After many months, Set learns that his family is in Pennsylvania. He hitchhikes across the country, and at last they are re-united. They and their children go on to live very successful lives.

Reviews

"The Hopes and Dreams series is highly recommended... as an excellent example of controlled vocabulary with a low-Lexile level and a glossary, relevant content about immigration, and engaging storytelling by the author, Tana Reiff." - Helaine W. Marshall, PhD, Professor of education and Director of Language Education Programs, Long Island University - Hudson Campus

Author Biography

Tana Reiff, author of the Hopes and Dreams series, holds a B.S. degree in elementary education and a master’s in secondary English with a concentration in applied linguistics. She has taught adult basic education, ESL, and college-level linguistics, and worked in multimedia communications for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. She is the author of dozens of hi-lo books (high interest, low reading level) for readers of all ages.